Tax Talk With The Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Last month, federal finance minister Jim Flaherty stepped down after eight years in the job. He was replaced a day later by Joe Oliver. The CTF's federal director, Gregory Thomas, joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about Flaherty's legacy and Oliver's future. Plus our usual features – our Comment of the Cast and Waste of the Week.

It’s always shocking when a provincial premier resigns suddenly, but especially when it happens in Alberta – a province known for its political stability. In the 109 years since the wild rose province joined confederation, they have had only 14 premiers. But Alison Redford, just two and a half years after becoming premier stepped down on March 19 due, in no small part, to some outrageous waste of taxpayer dollars. The CTF's Alberta director, Derek Fildebrandt, joined Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about Redford's legacy. (Note: this was taped BEFORE the condo controversy, in case you wonder why we don't address that particular elephant in the room.) Plus our usual features – our Comment of the Cast and Waste of the Week.

Join Jordan Bateman, BC Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, as he speaks with noted investigative journalist Bob Mackin about various topics. When the truth behind "mismanaged" public projects is exposed, one might start wondering: What is behind the blatant waste of so many taxpayer-funded projects? Incompetence, or waste-by-design to fill certain coffers? Regular features include Comment of the Cast and Waste of the Week.

This week we tune in to the 16th annual presentation of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation Teddy Awards, honoring the best of the worst of government waste. Tax Talk host and CTF B.C. Director Jordan Bateman presents the Sun News footage of the awards, featuring CTF’s federal director, Gregory Thomas. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and Waste of the Week!

Ontario is now running a budget deficit larger than Canada itself, but the Wynne government is in no hurry to cut spending. CTF Ontario Director Candice Malcolm joins Tax Talk host and CTF B.C. Director Jordan Bateman with her suggestions for balancing Ontario’s books. Hint: quit spending money on stupid projects. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and the Waste of the Week!

For the first time since the mid-1990s, the Canadian government will spend less than it did the year before. That’s the good news for taxpayers out of the federal budget, and Gregory Thomas, CTF Federal Director, joins Tax Talk host and CTF B.C. Director Jordan Bateman to break down all the numbers. A balanced budget is on the horizon, but not everything is hunky dory in Ottawa. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and the Waste of the Week!

One of the highlights of 2013 for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation was the successful launch of the Generation Screwed campus initiative, designed to inform and mobilize young Canadians about our country's economic future. Generation Screwed director Aaron Gunn joins B.C. Director and Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about the program's launch, vision and future. Plus our usual features – the comment of the cast and the waste of the week!

It's hard to believe, but premiers Ed Stelmach and Allison Redford have taken Alberta into the red - frittering away billions in a rainy-day fund and completely losing the Alberta Advantage. CTF Alberta Director Derek Fildebrandt joins B.C. Director and Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about how Alberta could have slid back into $8 billion worth of debt (and growing by $11 million a day), less than a decade after Ralph Klein famously held up his "Paid in Full" sign. For an up-to-the–second calculation of the Alberta debt, visit albertadebtclock.ca. Plus our usual features – the comment of the cast and the waste of the week!

It's that time of year when Santa is busy making the final checks on his naughty and nice list -- and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has some suggestions for him on both sides of the ledger. CTF VP-Communications Scott Hennig, sporting a moustache that must be seen to be believed, joins CTF B.C. Director and Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to give their picks on what politicians were nice to taxpayers this year -- and which ones were naughty. Plus our usual features -- the Comment of the Cast (talking about waste at BC Ferries) and the Waste of the Week (a CTF classic: plowing invisible snow). Merry Christmas, everyone -- see you in 2014!

A new Canadian Taxpayers Federation report, "Tax on the Menu", looks at food taxes through the lens of dozens of peer-reviewed academic studies and ample real world evidence from around the globe, proving food taxes of all kinds are entirely ineffective in reducing obesity. Report author Peter Shawn Taylor, editor-at-large for Maclean’s, joins CTF B.C. Director and Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about his report’s findings and bust some of the myths spun by various social engineers. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast (building on last week’s EI story) and the Waste of the Week (does the state belong in the lunch boxes of the nation?).

Earlier this month, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation issued a new report calling for changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) system that would allow Canadians to keep the money they and their employers pay in EI taxes in a personal unemployment account. Report author Nick Bergamini, the CTF’s Research Director, joins CTF B.C. Director and Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to break down the current EI system, highlight some shocking regional inequities, and lay out the CTF’s idea to revamp it. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast (praising a politician who, gasp!, did something right!) and the Waste of the Week (an MLA who collects more in pension than he did in salary).

Tax Talk host and CTF BC Director Jordan Bateman sits down with Sean Holman, an award-winning reporter, documentary filmmaker, an original muckraking blogger and now assistant professor of journalism at Mount RoyalUniversity, to talk about Sean’s new Unknowable Country column series. The two also dig into the negative ramifications of concentrating power in a Prime Minister’s or Premier’s Office, and how to get more out of backbench MPs and MLAs than simply “trained seal” behavior. Plus the usual features – the Comment of the Cast and the Waste of the Week (where your tax dollars are going to make sure invisible, non-existent trains run on time).

CTF Alberta Director Derek Fildebrandt joins Tax Talk host and BC Director Jordan Bateman to talk about the BC-Alberta pipeline (sort of) deal. Does it really matter? What was accomplished? And is it good news for Canadian taxpayers or not? They also touch on the results of municipal elections in Edmonton and Calgary (hint: one of those cities has a much more fiscally conservative council than the other). Plus the usual features -- the Comment of the Cast and the Waste of the Week (where your tax dollars this week are literally going up in smoke!).

Ontario’s provincial debt is growing by $371 per second - $32.1 million each and every day. Yet provincial politicians seem oblivious to the need to rein in their spending. Join Tax Talk host and CTF B.C. Director Jordan Bateman as he talks about Ontario spending scandals – including a $1.1 billion gas plant relocation boondoggle and cutting cheques to NBA billionaires – with the CTF’s Ontario director, Candice Malcolm. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and Waste of the Week!

Join Tax Talk host and CTF B.C. Director Jordan Bateman as he talks about the Senate spending scandal – and what everyday Canadians can do to make a difference in this debate – with the CTF’s federal director, Gregory Thomas. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and Waste of the Week! For a video/YouTube version of this podcast (this is the first Tax Talk podcast to be done in video), click here.

CTF Research Director (and Ottawa Senators fan) Nick Bergamini joins B.C. Director (and Vancouver Canucks fan) Jordan Bateman to discuss the CTF's new report, Shutout: Are High Taxes Keeping the Stanley Cup Out of Canada? It's a fun look at Canada's economic competitiveness with the United States, and an opportunity for Jordan to work through his issues with the Canucks's 2011 Stanley Cup Game 7 collapse one more time. Plus our usual features: Stat of the Cast, Waste of the Week and the Comment of the Cast!

CTF Research Director (and Ottawa Senators fan) Nick Bergamini joins B.C. Director (and Vancouver Canucks fan) Jordan Bateman to discuss the CTF's new report, Shutout: Are High Taxes Keeping the Stanley Cup Out of Canada? It's a fun look at Canada's economic competitiveness with the United States, and an opportunity for Jordan to work through his issues with the Canucks's 2011 Stanley Cup Game 7 collapse one more time. Plus our usual features: Stat of the Cast, Waste of the Week and the Comment of the Cast!

We're back from our summer break with a big episode exploring the scourge of corporate welfare. Veteran broadcaster David Berner and CTF B.C. Director Jordan Bateman sit down and talk about the silliness (and expense) of government handouts to business - including an all-time favorite, research on exploding sausages. It's a good one! Plus our usual features are back  - Comment of the Cast, Waste of the Week and the Stat of the Cast.

It's ugly in Ottawa, where the Senate is under perpetual, well-deserved fire for its spending silliness. CTF federal director Gregory Thomas joins host and B.C. director Jordan Bateman to break down all the craziness. Plus our usual features - Comment of the Cast, Waste of the Week and Stat of the Cast!

We're back from our two week hiatus and we thought we would tackle a relatively simple issue: Canada's equalization program. (Okay, maybe not quite that simple.) CTF Alberta Director Derek Fildebrandt joins host and CTF B.C. Director Jordan Bateman to talk about a series of open letters sent by the CTF to the premiers of the have provinces on negotiating a fairer equalization deal. Plus our usual features: Comment of the Cast, Waste of the Week and Stat of the Cast.